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Alan Buterworth Family Update
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Entries from
January 2005
January 2005 Newsletter
Saturday, January 01, 2005 :: 374 Views :: Newsletter
EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
By Steve Cohen
I was stationed at McCord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Washington for 6 years during the 1970’s. During my stay, I was given a brief look into a unique early warning system on base to track incoming threats. These systems were designed to warn people of danger and give time to respond. It was a huge array of vacuum tubes and had two sides to it, one as a backup. I’m sure that such systems today take up a fraction of the space and are far more accurate.
There was no early warning system for those who perished in the tsunami that hit after the 9.0+ earthquake in the ocean. We at the Apple of His Eye, like the rest of the world, mourn the catastrophic loss of life and livelihood. People who only occasionally are confronted with death found themselves overwhelmed with grief and the need to move on at the same time.
The massively haunting images of rubble left in the wake of nature’s enormous power might never be seen in our lifetime again.
The wall to wall media coverage has brought the drama of rescues and loss into our living rooms. We have seen the heroism of survivors and the concern of those from around the world seeking to render aid in places many have never even heard of before.
Recently I spoke with a young Christian who desires to reach out to the Jewish ultra Orthodox in Russia. He is planning a short trip soon and then will come back to seek ways and means to be there full time. As we talked, he spoke of some of the issues weighing down the Messianic movement today including the question of the exclusive means of salvation through Jesus alone.
“Some are saying that because the church has a flawed missiology, Jewish people who die outside of faith somehow have a special position with God that allows them into heaven apart from faith in Jesus,” he said. My response was brief, “The problem is not the missiology of the church, the problem is sin! Jesus is the solution.”
All mankind is facing the certainty of death because of sin unless Jesus returns first. We are here to serve as God’s early warning system. This problem leads us to a tremendous opportunity. Together we can be about the business of life – letting people know that in Christ we can have life abundantly. John 10:10
What do you think about Messiah? It’s funny, but Jews still asks the same question. This is still not easy for Israel to pick up the fact that Jesus is the true one who must come and save sons and daughters of Abraham. They are still waiting for someone else to come to this world.
I’ve spend a lot of time searching thru Russian Jewish internet trying to understand what the modern Russian Jews think about Messiah. In Russia Jewish people seem interested to learn about Hope of Israel, but their view who must to come is real far from what Tanakh (Bible) teach about Messiah. Most of Jewish theologians think that he could be just political leader who bring a lot of power and glory for Israel and who will definitely rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.
Yes, a lot of Jewish people are waiting for Messiah, but what kind of Messiah they are waiting for? With great pain in my soul, I understand they are waiting one who must give political and financial power to Israel, one who bring so called peace to all nations, but this peace is in flesh and there is no promise of heavenly peace!
Doc, How
Bad
Is It?
By Alan Butterworth
Usually when a doctor hears this question, it is about the physical health of a patient. But what about your doctor’s spiritual health? How can you find out? Ask! Begin with, “What will happen when YOU die?” Or “What do you think of Jesus?” Perhaps your doctor is Jewish. Don’t be afraid. Unless you ask, you won’t know if your doctor is searching for the truth. Listen carefully to the answer and then ask, “How may I pray for you?”
Just before Christmas, I met a Jewish doctor in the Kansas City area who is searching for the truth about Jesus. He heard me at the early service, at the Bible Class, and came back to talk at lunch for a long time! He agreed to ask God to show him if Jesus is who He claimed to be! Please pray that God answers his prayer soon!
Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15. Jesus wants us to ask all people who He is, and listen. As you ask, listen and pray with your doctor, you will build a relationship, a bridge. If you begin by asking about death or Jesus, it will be natural to share the reason you are not afraid to die!
Counter-missionaries, like “Jews for Judaism,” who make their living opposing what we do, would say, if your doctor is Jewish, you would be wasting your time. Why? Your doctor is not ‘needy’ enough to fall for the ‘deception’: “Stressful circumstances such as school problems, loss of a romantic relationship, confusion over career goals, financial pressure, disillusionment, etc. can cause sudden vulnerability. Needy people are not as discerning as they might ordinarily be, and are easy prey for a deceptive, alluring recruiter.” (http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/web/faq/faq_cmi07.html)
Dr. Peter Greenspan, a member of Timothy Lutheran Church in Blue Springs, MO, is grateful for the counter-missionaries. Before he was baptized, he studied their arguments that Messianic prophecy verses in the Hebrew Scriptures were not fulfilled by, and do not point to, Jesus.
Do you receive our International Prayer Consortium e-mails (about once a month)? Please send a message by e-mail to philemonv6@aol.com so we can share our prayer concerns with you.
“Where Does My Help Come From?”
By Gary Timm
I had a great Christmas! We cherish all your prayers and words of encouragement! Dawn, Caleb and I give thanks to God for you, our supporters, for standing with us as we share Messiah Jesus with the Jewish community.
On Sunday, December 26, 2004, Pastor Pekari gave me the opportunity to speak at Ascension Lutheran Church in Queens, NY. Ascension is near a large Orthodox Jewish community where he and I frequently hand out Gospel tracts. Several members of Ascension have asked me to help them share the Gospel with their Jewish friends. We have been praying for this community for a long time!
As the worship service was about to begin, one of the ushers said to me, “There is a Jewish man in the narthex asking for help.” At first, I thought the usher was joking. this has never happened to me before. But he was serious!
The man’s name is Jerry. He told me he was Orthodox, but he wasn’t wearing a yarmulke. As he fought back tears, Jerry said, “My sister passed away five weeks ago. I am recovering from knee surgery, so I can’t work for at least another week.”
My thoughts started racing. How could an Orthodox man seek help in a church? The Talmud (Abodah Zarah 17a) says that going within 6 feet of a church constitutes idolatry, one of the most serious offenses a Jewish person can commit! In New York, I see con artists all the time. I wondered: should I believe him?
I sent Jerry a copy of a special “Apple of His Eye” edition of a booklet called “God’s Word ® of Encouragement .”
Choose Someone to
Witness with You
Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
Acts 1:21-22
WIN-SOME WITNESSES
Guidance from scripture in
sharing our faith...
We know that Jesus sent out witnesses two by two. This is a good principle, since you then have the opportunity to double the prayerfulness of your witness, double the know-how in witnessing and encourage each other along the way. Witnessing can lead to discouragement if you do not see results. We know the results are up to God, but still we like to see fruit.
If you go it alone, you might easily become discouraged from continuing. Having someone with you will help you to remain accountable for your witness; you wouldn’t want to let that person down, nor they, you. While we do not have eye-witnesses to the resurrection today, we do have life- witnesses to the power of that resurrection hope. Win-Some Witnesses look for partners in ministry so that they might urge each other forward.
Our society pushes hard on individualism. Resist that temptation to go it alone and find a partner in ministry to serve with you in your witness.
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